Alberta knitting groups protests disability cuts

30th April 2013

A knitting group in Alberta is trying to unite the local community in protest against recent budget cuts for disabled people.

The Revolutionary Knitting Circle is busy making a woollen blanket at the Calgary Central Library to show its opposition to the government's decision to reduce services for those with developmental disabilities, CBC News reports.

Grant Neufeld, coordinator of the group, said: "We're deeply concerned about the loss of their community action program services that many people in this province are facing under the latest budget cuts.

"We want to see recognition that these are essential programs for people with disabilities in our communities to have a chance to actually be out in the community and not be trapped in their homes, not be cut off from community but actually have an opportunity to come out and participate in society."

The knitting club members are each contributing their own sections which are to be stitched together to create a larger blanket.

Once the protest is over the group plans to donate the blanket to someone in need, further helping to raise awareness of this pressing issue.

Using a series of colourful patches, the large blanket will hang in the local library so that others can watch it grow as support for the campaign swells.

The province has said that it will cut around $42 million (£27 million) in funding for those with developmental disabilities, while pushing more of these people into working.

It argues that investments made in the community access program are worthwhile, however the results do not justify its continuation.

Mr Neufeld went on to say that Alberta has a responsibility to allow everyone to participate in society.

"When people don't have a chance to lead a decent life, their health goes down, there are mental health issues, there are social problems that come up and the costs with those goes up a lot more than the cost of making sure they're included in our community."